ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for giving a “walk over” to the incumbent coalition government in the parliament.
Taking up a petition filed by the former ruling party against amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial questioned the PTI for staying away from the parliamentary debate on recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
He implored PTI Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard former prime minister and party Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against amendments to the NAO.
Advocate Khawaja Haris appeared on behalf of the ousted premier.
The bench issued notices to the respondents named in the petition as questions were raised by counsel and are to be taken into consideration.
During the hearing, the chief justice asked the former foreign minister why PTI did not object to the legislation related to amendments in the parliament.
CJP Bandial urged the former ruling party to consider participating in the assembly, “for the sake of people and the country.”
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah questioned the PTI counsel on the matter of parliamentary debate, stating that serious questions would arise on the locus standi of the petitioner, as to why they did not participate in the debate.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan disapproved of the former ruling party’s decision to give a “complete walk over to the government” and said the party could have raised objections to the legislation.
In response, Qureshi refused to eplain his party’s decisin to walk out of the parliament. However, the former minister stated that two attempts were made to amend the NAB laws but consensus could not be developed.
The bench did not pass a restraining order to halt the operation of the new law and adjourned the hearing until July 29.
